Indian Ocean Scholarship

Each year, Blue Ventures awards up to 18 scholarships to Malagasy university students, training them in SCUBA diving, marine science and conservation research.

To help increase Madagascar’s capacity to effectively manage coastal areas across the country, Blue Ventures runs a scholarship programme that brings Malagasy university students and recent graduates to its project site in Andavadoaka, located on the southwest coast of Madagascar.

For six weeks, the students attend in-depth classes in SCUBA diving, marine science and research methods. Students also learn about local ecosystem types and the importance of keeping marine resources healthy and productive.

Most conservation studies in Madagascar concentrate on terrestrial species, therefore the Indian Ocean Marine Scholarship Programme is an important and much needed educational tool that contributes to Madagascar’s ability to protect its marine resources. Past participants in the programme have gone on to work for national and international conservation groups operating in the country.

The scholarship is the first programme of its kind in Madagascar, and is designed to give students and young conservationists hands-on experience working on community-centred marine conservation projects.

Students accepted into the programme receive round-trip travel from the city of Tulear to Andavadoaka, six weeks of food and lodging, free use of SCUBA and snorkelling equipment and daily lessons in marine research techniques, species identification, diving and conservation planning.

For more information about the Scholarship Programme and how to apply, please click here.

We have collected a sample of the testimonials of some of our Indian Ocean Scholars to give an idea of the positive impact a Blue Ventures scholarship has.

Please click on 'read more' under each name to find out their story.